It Must've Been The Mistletoe
by Always Hopeful
Summary: COMPLETE! ONE SHOT! Minerva and Albus are alone in the castle on Christmas Eve. How will they spend it? It must've been the mistletoe, the lazy fire, the falling snow, the magic in the frosty air, that feeling everywhere.


**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or the song which I am using. Please don't hate me forever for using any of the lyrics or if I should inadvertently screw up the story!**

**A/N: Well, this came to me a while ago and I hope I can write it as well as I envisioned it. I look forward to the reviews which will hopefully fill up my mailbox. Well, here we go… dives into story**

**It Must've Been The Mistletoe…**

Minerva looked happily as the last of the students left for home. It was Christmas holidays and Harry Potter, along with his two best friends, had defeated Lord Voldemort. This was everyone's first Christmas in which they did not have to live in fear of being harmed by the dark wizard of his death eaters. Even the staff was going away. Everyone would be with loved ones, whether it be family, friends, or lovers; everyone would be having a great time, building snowmen and having snowball fights; everyone would be sitting down at the table tonight, on Christmas Eve, having dinner with everyone they cared about…. Everyone that is, except for her.

Minerva had no family to speak of. Her younger sister, Hera, and died three years earlier from pneumonia while her younger brother, Hermes, had perished in a fire, which had been started by none other than Voldemort himself only eighteen months earlier. And finally, her parents had died during the final battle of Grindlewald. She had no other family to speak of, so she would spend this Christmas alone, with no one else to talk to. The only comfort she could speak of was the fact that she was allowed to stay here, at Hogwarts, which had been her home for more than forty years.

When she entered the Great Hall, solely for the purpose of telling the house elves to send her breakfast up to her rooms, she found that Albus was sitting there, in his usual spot. Though she was thrilled to see him, she was confused as to why he was still there.

"Hello, Albus," she smiled as she sat in her usual spot next to him. "I didn't think I'd see you here. Why aren't you visiting with Aberforth?" Albus chuckled.

"That was, indeed, my original intent for the holidays," he replied, taking a sip of his pumpkin juice. "But then he found that his goats were coming down with something awful, and felt that was reason enough to cancel our plans. So, I decided to stay here at Hogwarts, with you, my dear." Minerva smiled, blushing slightly at his term of endearment.

"You didn't have to do that, Albus," she said, filling her plate, deciding she wanted to eat there with him. Despite what she said, she was secretly happy that he had decided to stay with her. She had loved him for so long that she lost count exactly how many years it had been. Not to mention, she had the entire castle alone with him. Lack of anyone to talk to would be plenty reason enough to speak with him for hours in the day.

"Oh, but it would be my pleasure, Minerva," Albus replied, that twinkle in his eye. Minerva blushed once again and they fell into a comfortable silence. Albus thought about the woman next to him. It was true that he wanted to be near her every chance he got, and he did find being with her pleasurable. But he discovered some years before that being close to her was not enough. He wanted to be more than just her friend, but thought it to be impossible. He was, after all, eighty years her senior. If he every told her how he felt, she would forever view him as a perverted old man and refuse to speak with him.

"So, what do you plan to do today?" Minerva asked abruptly, pulling him from his thoughts. He looked at her and smiled.

"Oh, I don't know," he said. "I was rather hoping you might accompany me in perhaps walking the grounds, and maybe some Christmas shopping?" Minerva raised her eyebrows so that they almost reached her hairline.

"Christmas shopping? Albus Dumbledore, did you wait until the absolute last minute to buy your presents?"

"Not all of it," he said, raising his hands defensively. "In fact, there is only one I need to get, since I had to special order it. What do you say?" Minerva quirked a brow, then smiled.

"Oh, fine," she said. "Of course, Albus, I would love to join you today."

"Great," replied Albus. Her acceptance filled him with as much excitement as his invitation had done to her. After breakfast, they parted ways, after promising to meet back later, in the evening. Six o' clock seemed to be the right time.

Ooooooooooo

When Albus walked back to the huge double doors, Minerva was already there, waiting for him. She was wearing a set of dark blue robes, which hugged every curve. A heavy, black, velvet cloak was draped on her back, making for a nice effect indeed. But what caught Albus' immediate attention was the way her hair, which was always in that ridiculous bun, was now cascading down her back in waves of ebony, curling at the bottom. It caused her to look at least twenty years younger, making him even more foolish for the way he was feeling.

Minerva was nervous about letting her hair down. She thought it might be too unprofessional to do such a thing in front of her boss. But then she also remembered that he was her best friend, and right now they were not meeting on matters concerning the school or an evil wizard. Now, they were just meeting as two friends, who were going out to have some company on Christmas Eve.

"Are you all ready, my dear?" Albus inquired. He was very surprised to find that his voice was steady. How could it be so steady when his heart was beating faster than it had in so long?

"Yes, I'm ready," she said, accepting the arm that he offered her. His arm was warm and soft, as was hers. Just as they were walking out the door, Albus stopped abruptly and turned to her. She looked at him, confused. "What is it, Albus?" He pointed upward.

"We are standing underneath mistletoe, Minerva," he said. Her eyes followed up and saw that they were, indeed, standing underneath some mistletoe. "It's bad luck to pass through without a kiss." Minerva now blushed furiously.

"Oh? I didn't know that." Her mouth was dry. "Well, we don't want to have bad luck following us around, now do we?" Albus shook his head.

"Of course not," he replied. He leaned in and kissed her lightly upon the cheek, which was also warm and soft. He pulled back before he did something he would regret and escorted her out.

_It must've been the mistletoe_

_The lazy fire, the falling snow_

_The magic in the frosty air_

_That feeling everywhere_

Minerva was, indeed, disappointed that the kiss was just on her cheek and was very short. She knew it was foolish of her to expect more, but it was what she wanted for so long. Perhaps it was even foolish to want something so simple, yet so hard. And as they stepped into the chilly air, she realized how cold she was inside. Her outsides were warm, but her insides were cold and empty.

Albus found it very painful not to kiss her the way she deserved to be kissed. He had thought for a fraction of a second that he could muster up his legendary courage and be the one to do so, but he had lost his nerve at the last second and diverted his lips to her cheek. And as the snow fell from the sky, he suddenly noticed that the absence of people on the grounds of Hogwarts resembled how barren his love life had been. He had concentrated so much on Minerva that he had not even noticed that his best years were gone.

Ooooooooooo

When they entered the town of Hogsmede and saw the lights in the window. They were beautiful, shining with all their glory. Shops were beginning to close down early for Christmas, but a few of the restaurants were still open, as were a few of the bigger shops.

"Albus, are you sure you'll be able to get your Christmas gift so late? After all, most of the shops are already closed." Minerva looked around at all the shops, which were turning off their usual lights and just turning on their Christmas lights. Albus smiled.

"Don't you worry about a thing, my dear. I called ahead and made sure that the store I wanted would still be open." Minerva made a silent, 'Oh', and just enjoyed being by his side.

They stopped right in front of a jewelry store, and Minerva knit her brows.

"This is the store you are getting the gift from?" she asked.

"Of course," he replied. He pulled her gently by the hand into the store, a huge grin on his face.

"Wow, whoever you are getting the gift for must be close," she said. "This place is a pretty pricy place." She looked down and saw a beautiful brooch. It had a gold lion's head inside a circle of diamonds, with two rubies for the eyes. It was a nice contrast of simplicity and intricate design.

"Do you like that, Minerva?" Albus asked, seeing the look in her eyes. She smiled, not taking her eyes off it.

"Yes, I do, very much," she said. Then, she frowned and looked at him sorrowfully. "Alas, it is a bit out of my price range. Besides, I am too old to be indulging in such things." She looked at the brooch again, a soft sigh escaping her lips. She went on to look at other things, but did not see Albus signal to the man to take the brooch out and ring it up for him. So that when they walked out of the small store, Albus presented her with a small velvet case.

"Albus, what is this?" she asked, somewhat suspicious.

"Just open it up, and see," he said, huge grin upon his face. She smirked and opened it up. As soon as she saw what was in it, tears filled her eyes.

"Oh, Albus," she whispered, running her fingers over the brooch. She looked up at him. "This is way too much!"

"I said I had one more gift to get, and I was not about to leave that shop until you chose that gift," he replied with a smile. "Even if I had to ask you point blank what you liked." Minerva wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him.

"Thank you very much, Albus," she said. "This cost you a fortune, and yet you got it for me anyway. I don't know what to say." Albus beamed down at her as she pulled away.

"You don't need to say anything," he said. "Here, let me help you with it." He fastened to the collar of her robes, which were just as high as her normal ones. "There, it looks beautiful on you." They continued walking around for a few hours or so, arm in arm, looking at everything in the windows. They even ate in one of the restaurants, both enjoying the romantic atmosphere, though neither one mentioned how romantic it made them feel. And as they left town, Minerva looked up at the sky.

"Look at how those stars shine so bright," she remarked. "Aren't they beautiful?"

"Indeed," said Albus. "Almost as beautiful as you." Minerva blushed and looked down at the ground.

"Albus, you are a shameless flatterer," she joked, even though it was true. Albus chuckled and they continued walking.

_It might've been the pretty lights_

_That glistened in the silent night_

_Or maybe just the stars so bright_

_That shined above you_

Albus stopped walking and pointed to a spot not so far away.

"It would appear, my dear, that our ride has arrived," he said. There, in front of them, was a horse drawn sleigh, the horse white as the snow and the sleigh as red as blood. Minerva gasped.

"Oh, Albus, that is the most beautiful thing I've seen," she said, looking up at him. "How long have you been planning this?"

"Oh, about a week," he said. "Ever since my brother's stupid animals got sick, I thought I might make you feel better, after all the horrible things that have taken place lately." Minerva smiled warmly at him, which made him happier with each passing second. It wasn't often she graced him with a genuine smile such as this one. He held out his hand to her and they climbed into the sleigh. Once they were ready, they took off.

"Do you realize that this is our first Christmas without the threat of Voldemort?" asked Minerva. Now that the wizard was gone, there was no fear in speaking his name openly. Albus nodded.

"Yes, I have thought of that," he replied. "I am glad that he is gone, not just my sake, but for everyone's sake."

"Me too," Minerva agreed.

_Our first Christmas_

_More than we'd been dreaming of_

_Oh, St. Nicholas_

_Had his fingers crossed_

_That we would fall in love_

The ride lasted about another hour, with both Minerva and Albus laughing, talking, and drinking hot chocolate. They both enjoyed the time together. If neither one of them had been in love with the other, this sure would have done it. And when they finally reached the castle, it was almost midnight.

"Thank you very much, Albus," smiled Minerva as they saw the horse trot off. "This was most definitely a wonderful night. I shall never forget it."

"Neither shall I, Minerva," he replied.

"And, there is one more thing," she said. Without another word, she picked up some snow and threw it at him. He looked at her, first in disbelief, then with a huge grin on his face.

"Oh, is that how it's going to be?" he laughed. Minerva nodded.

"Yup, that's how it's going to be," she replied. Before she could react, he threw one at her, and before either one of them knew it, they were throwing snowballs at each other. After several minutes of this, Albus snuck up behind her and tackled her. They fell down the small hill and landed so that Minerva was on her back and Albus landed right on top of her. They were laughing, but stopped when they realized how close they were. Minerva looked to the side and smiled.

"Come on, Albus, it's getting late," she said.

"Quite right, Minerva," he said, standing up and pulling her up with him. They were both wet and cold by then.

_It could've been the holiday_

_The midnight ride upon a sleigh_

_The countryside all dressed in white_

_That crazy snowball fight_

Albus walked Minerva up to her room, always wanting to be the gentleman.

"Well, once again, Albus, I must say thank you very much," she said, turning to him. "And now, I should change before I catch a death of cold." Albus smiled.

"Alas, so must I," he said, sorrowfully. In the distance, they could hear the bells chiming twelve.

_It could've been the steeple bell_

_That wrapped us up within its spell_

_It only took one kiss to know_

_It must have been the mistletoe_

Twenty minutes later, Albus was pacing his room. Should he tell her? Or should he remain silent, as he had done for so many years. This night helped to bring into view all that he had longed for. What he wanted more than anything was to have what they had had that evening, but more. He wanted stuff like that to last much longer. So, he made up his mind to tell her. He pulled out a small, black, velvet box from his desk drawer and left for Minerva's private quarters

_Our first Christmas_

_More than we'd been dreaming of_

_Oh, St. Nicholas_

_Must have known that kiss_

_Would lead to all of this_

Minerva opened the door and was curious as to why Albus was there at her door.

"May I help you with something, Albus?" she asked. He thought she looked beautiful in her pajamas, and it took all of his strength not to lose control completely.

"Minerva, I have something to tell you, and I only hope that you will understand," he began. He shifted nervously for a minute. "May I come in?" Minerva jumped slightly and stepped aside.

"Of course you can," she said with a smile. He entered and looked at her. Then, he took her by the hand and led her to her couch, motioning for her to sit down. She did and looked at him expectantly.

"Minerva, for several years now, too many to count, I have held certain feelings for you. When you were a student, I thought of you as a great student. Then, when you came back to teach, I saw and respected you as a wonderful colleague. But now, I see you as the beautiful woman you have always been. I've loved you for so long, yet have never had the guts to say as much to you for fear of you laughing in my face or calling me a perverted old coot. I love you and wish to continue to love you, even if it must be from afar." Minerva stared at him, wide-eyed and speechless.

"Albus…" she whispered, getting to her feet.

"Please don't be too angry with me," he said, backing up a few steps, seeing the tears within her eyes. He stopped when he saw her smile broadly and bring her hands up to his face.

"Albus, I love you too," she replied. Now, it was his turn to be shocked. "I, too, have loved you for countless years, but have been afraid to speak. I can only hope that you will not be angry with me for holding out so long." She could say nothing else as his lips came down and captured hers in their first passionate kiss. The fire in the fireplace could not compare with the fire which had been ignited in them at that moment.

_It must've been the mistletoe_

_The lazy fire, the falling snow_

_The magic in the frosty air_

_That made me love you_

Albus managed to pull himself away long enough to bend down on one knee and pull out the velvet box.

"Now, Minerva, before I lose my nerve completely…" He opened the box and took a deep breath. "Will you marry me?" The ring had been his grandmothers. It was a gold band with a diamond in the middle and two emeralds on either side. Minerva kneeled down and smiled.

"Of course I will," she said. He slipped the ring on her finger and kissed her once again.

_On Christmas Eve, a wish came true_

_That night I fell in love with you_

_It only took one kiss to know_

_It must've been the mistletoe_

Ooooooooooo

So now, whenever someone asked them how they managed to work up the courage to tell each other of their love, they'll look at each other, smile, and say…

_It must've been the mistletoe…_

**The End…**

**A/N2: Okay, well I know it isn't Christmas, but I felt like I just had to write it. It was calling out to me, beckoning me to write it. How can you ignore the call of the writing? Please to put in the reviews in the little box! Thank you, come again! Always Hopeful**


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